Key Preaching Verses

a) 1 Timothy 6.10-11: Timothy’s commission for ministry, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

b) Luke 16.31: In Jesus’ Parable to the Rich Man, said Lazarus, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead”

Focus Questions

The Good News of today’s Gospel Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is that God cares and wants to help! The challenge for us Christians is do we care and want to help? Will we accept Christ’s Mission to the poor, the lonely and the marginalised of society?

The problem with far too many Church attenders is that Christianity is all theory and no practice! When is the last time you put Christ’s love into action and helped someone in need?

Are you prepared to use your God given gifts so that our caring God can work through you to serve people in need?

Who is your Lazarus? Who is God calling you to serve? (Hint: No pious generalities, rather identify the specific people who God is calling you to serve!)

Who is God calling you to be and what is God calling you to do?

Take Home Challenge

I would like to give you some insight (a “heads up”) into the questions of the entry examination into Heaven:

Is it true that you are not a missionary?

Is it true that you lived only for yourself and your own family?

Is it true that you had opportunities to help the needy, the hungry, the lonely, the sick and the dying, and the marginalised of society and you walked by with indifference as if they weren’t even there?